had just occupied the see of Edessa, and finished the
building of the cemetery of his cathedral.

The third was Aristaces, said to be the cousin of Jacob of Bisibis and
son of Gregory the Illuminator, founder of the Armenian Church. He
represented both his father and the bishop and Tiridates, the king of
Armenia; the bishop and King having received a special invitation from
Constantine, and sent their written professions of faith by the hands of
Aristaces.

The fourth came from beyond the frontier, the sole representative
of the more distant East, "John the Persian," who added to his
name the more sounding title--here appearing for the first time,
but revived in our own days as the designation of our own bishops
of Calcutta--"Metropolitan of India."

A curious tradition related that this band, including eleven other names
from the remote East, were the only members of the Nicene Council who
had not sustained some bodily mutilation or injury.

As this little band advanced westward, they encountered a remarkable
personage, who stands at the head of the next group which we meet--the
prelates of Asia Minor and Greece. This was Leontius of Caesarea in
Cappadocia. From his hands, it was said, Gregory of Armenia had
received ordination, and from his successors in the see of Caesarea had
desired that every succeeding bishop of Armenia should receive
ordination likewise. For this reason, it may be, Aristaces and his
company sought them out. They found Leontius already on his journey, and
they overtook him at a critical moment. He was on the point of baptizing
another Gregory, father of a much more celebrated Gregory, the future
bishop of Nazianzen. A light, it was believed, shone from the water,
which was only discerned by the sacred travellers.

Leontius was claimed by the Arians, but still more decidedly by the
orthodox. Others, of the same side, are usually named as from the same
region, among them Hypatius of Gangra, whose end we shall witness at the
close of these events, and Hermogenes the deacon, afterward bishop of
Caesarea, who acted as secretary of the council.

Eusebius of Nicomedia, afterward of Constantinople, Theognis of Nicaea,
Maris of Chalcedon, and Menophantus of Ephesus, were among the most
resolute defenders of Arius. It is curious to reflect that they
represent the four sees of the four orthodox councils of the Church. The
three last named soon vanish away from history. But Eusebius of
Nicomedia, frie